Lyft and Uber Lawyer: Lyft and Uber Accident Facts

LYFT AND UBER LAWYER

Uber and Lyft are huge companies, each valued in the billions of dollars. Their industry continues to grow. This growth has attracted the attention of reporters and researchers. In the years since the rideshare economy exploded, these reporters and researchers have published facts and statistics that a Lyft and Uber lawyer should keep in mind.

Lyft and Uber Accident Statistics

The rideshare industry has the potential to make our roads safer. Any experienced Lyft and Uber lawyer can name several examples—someone who has been drinking does not have to drive because he or she can call an Uber or Lyft. A driver who is unable to drive safely, because of age or some infirmity, can use Uber or Lyft instead of driving. A driver who is too tired to drive or needs to work while traveling can do the same thing.

But a Lyft or Uber lawyer also knows this—the statistics do not confirm that these rideshare companies are always the safest option. Taking an Uber or Lyft is a better idea than driving drunk or driving when you shouldn’t, but it may not be safer than a traditional taxi, at least according to one New York report. Accident statistics like these are difficult to compile and the evidence is inconclusive, but it is not clear that Uber and Lyft are living up to their safety potential.

Lyft and Uber Incidents

Another risk that a Lyft and Uber lawyer sees arises not from accidents, but from intentional misconduct. Predictably, Uber or Lyft drivers sometimes have to deal with drunk or obnoxious passengers. Unfortunately, the misconduct of passengers can be more serious. Some rideshare drivers have been victims of a passengers who deliberately damaged their cars or assaulted the drivers.

Any experienced Lyft and Uber lawyer has also encountered misconduct by drivers. Butler Tobin has fielded some deeply disturbing calls involving sexual misconduct by Uber drivers. One website has begun compiling reports of incidents involving assaults, kidnappings, and sexual assaults by Uber and Lyft drivers. Tellingly, when Massachusetts imposed certain background check requirements on rideshare drivers, about 8,000 Lyft and Uber drivers had to be banned from driving. These reports are alarming.

Lyft and Uber Data

Few companies keep closer watch on their employees than rideshare companies do, and a Lyft or Uber lawyer needs to understand that. In order to know which drivers are available and keep customers informed about their drivers’ arrival times, Uber and Lyft acquire and maintain voluminous GPS and electronic data. In the event of an accident, a Lyft or Uber lawyer needs to make sure that the company saves that electronic data because it could become important evidence.

Uber and Lyft should save their GPS and electronic data on their own, voluntarily, even without being reminded. Saving the data protects both their customers and their drivers. But in case the companies “forget,” Butler Tobin often instructs Uber or Lyft that the evidence must be preserved. Our firm has earned recognition in national legal journals for the innovative ways we make sure that Uber or Lyft saves this crucial electronic evidence.

Lyft and Uber Insurance

An experienced Lyft and Uber lawyer can provide this good news: drivers and passengers of these rideshare companies have special protections in the event of an accident. If there is a collision and the Uber or Lyft driver is not at fault, both Uber and Lyft offer uninsured/underinsured (“UM”) insurance that can protect the driver, the passenger, or both. If there is a collision and the Uber or Lyft is at fault, then both Uber and Lyft offer liability insurance for the protection of the rideshare passenger and the driver or passenger of any other vehicle who is hurt in the wreck.

Talking with a Lyft and Uber Lawyer

When it comes to Lyft and Uber accidents, experience matters. If you or a loved one has been injured in a rideshare accident, contact a dedicated Lyft and Uber lawyer.